Housing structures and input-output devices for electronic devices

ABSTRACT

An electronic device may have input-output devices such as sensors, displays, wireless circuitry, and other electronic components mounted within a housing. The housing may have opposing front and rear walls. A display may be formed on a front side of the device and may be overlapped by a front housing wall such as a glass layer. Sensors and other components may be formed on a rear side of the device and may be overlapped by a rear housing wall. The rear housing wall may have a glass portion or other transparent structure through which projectors project images onto nearby surfaces and through which image sensors and other optical sensors receive light. The housing may be supported by a stand. An electrical component in the stand may interact with an electronic device on the stand. Wireless circuitry in an external item may wirelessly couple to wireless circuitry within the housing.

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent applicationNo. 62/729,364, filed Sep. 10, 2018, and provisional patent applicationNo. 62/772,973, filed Nov. 29, 2018, which are hereby incorporated byreference herein their entireties.

FIELD

This relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, tohousings and input-output devices for electronic devices.

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices such as computers include input-output devices.Housings for the electronic devices may be formed from polymer, metal,and other materials.

If care is not taken, the input-output devices of an electronic devicemay not gather input as desired and/or may not provide a user withdesired output. Housings for electronic devices may be formed frommaterials that are unsightly or that hinder the operation ofinput-output devices.

SUMMARY

An electronic device may have input-output devices such as sensors,displays, wireless circuitry, and other electronic components mountedwithin a housing. The housing may have opposing front and rear walls.The housing may include transparent materials such as glass or clearpolymer and may, if desired, include polymer with embedded fibers (e.g.,fiberglass). In some configurations, the front and rear walls may beformed from glass, transparent polymer, or other transparent materials.A display may be viewed through the front wall. Optical devices andother components may operate through the rear wall or other portions ofthe housing.

A stand may support the housing so that a display that is overlapped bythe front wall may be viewed by a user. Projectors on the rear wall orother portions of the electronic device may project images onto nearbysurfaces. Sensors such as gaze detection sensors, three-dimensionalimage sensors, cameras, and other components may operate through housingwalls. Control circuitry may display images on the display and may useprojectors to display images onto nearby surfaces using captured images,gaze detection information, and other information from input-outputdevices.

The electronic device may include wireless circuitry. The wirelesscircuitry may be located in the housing or the stand for the housing andmay be used in transmitting or receiving wireless power and/or wirelesscommunications signals. The stand may include a glass layer, clearpolymer layer, other transparent material and/or other material. Adisplay, wireless circuitry, or other components may operate through thetransparent material and/or other materials of the stand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an illustrative electronic devicein accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronicdevice in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a corner portion of an illustrativeelectronic device in accordance with an embodiment.

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are cross-sectional side views of illustrativeelectronic device housing structures in accordance with embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of an illustrative electronic devicein accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative portion of anelectronic device housing structure and an associated optical componentin accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronicdevice with electrically adjustable shutters in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an illustrative system with anelectronic device in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a front view of an illustrative electronic device showing howimages may be projected onto adjacent surfaces in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 13 is a front view of an illustrative electronic device showing howimages from a camera may be displayed on a display in the electronicdevice to reveal objects that would otherwise be partly or fullyobscured by the electronic device in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronicdevice and an associated external device in accordance with anembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An electronic device such as a computer may be provided with housingstructures such as glass housing structures, clear polymer structures,other transparent materials, and/or other materials. Forming some or allof a housing for an electronic device from materials such as glass,transparent polymer, and other such materials may help accommodateoptical components and other electrical devices. In some arrangements,the electronic device may be provided with projecting displays that helpenhance the area used for providing a user with visual output.Input-output devices such as optical components, displays, projectors,sensors, wireless circuitry, and/or other electrical devices can beaccommodated within a glass housing or other housing structures for theelectronic device.

An illustrative electronic device is shown in FIG. 1 . Electronic device10 may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a computermonitor containing an embedded computer (e.g., a desktop computer formedfrom a display with a desktop stand that has computer componentsembedded in the same housing as the display), a tablet computer, acellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portableelectronic device, a smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, apendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a device embedded ineyeglasses or other equipment worn on a user's head, or other wearableor miniature device, a television, a computer display that does notcontain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, atower computer, an embedded system such as a system in which electronicequipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, equipmentthat implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, orother electronic equipment.

As shown in FIG. 1 , electronic device 10 may have control circuitry 16.Control circuitry 16 may include storage and processing circuitry forsupporting the operation of device 10. The storage and processingcircuitry may include storage such as hard disk drive storage,nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or otherelectrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solidstate drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamicrandom-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in control circuitry 16may be used to control the operation of device 10. The processingcircuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers,digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units,audio chips, application specific integrated circuits, etc. Controlcircuitry 16 may include wired and/or wireless communications circuitry(e.g., antennas and associated radio-frequency transceiver circuitrysuch as cellular telephone communications circuitry, wireless local areanetwork communications circuitry, etc.). The communications circuitry ofcontrol circuitry 16 may allow device 10 to communicate with keyboards,computer mice, remote controls, speakers, accessory displays, accessorycameras, and/or other electronic devices that serve as accessories fordevice 10.

Input-output circuitry in device 10 such as input-output devices 12 maybe used to allow data to be supplied to device 10 and to allow data tobe provided from device 10 to external devices. Input-output devices 12may include input devices that gather user input and other input and mayinclude output devices that supply visual output, audible output, orother output. These devices may include buttons, joysticks, scrollingwheels, touch pads, key pads, keyboards, microphones, speakers, tonegenerators, vibrators and other haptic output devices, light-emittingdiodes and other status indicators, data ports, etc.

Input-output devices 12 may include one or more displays such as display14. Devices 12 may, for example, include an organic light-emitting diodedisplay, a liquid crystal display, a projector display (e.g., aprojector based on a micromechanical systems device such as a digitalmicromirror device or other projector components), a display having anarray of pixels formed from respective light-emitting diodes (e.g., apixel array having pixels with crystalline light-emitting diodes formedfrom respective light-emitting diode dies such as micro-light-emittingdiode dies), and/or other displays. Display 14 may be a touch screendisplay that includes a touch sensor for gathering touch input from auser or display 14 may be a touch insensitive display that is notsensitive to touch. A touch sensor for display 14 may be based on anarray of capacitive touch sensor electrodes, acoustic touch sensorstructures, resistive touch components, force-based touch sensorstructures, a light-based touch sensor, or other suitable touch sensorarrangements. In some configurations, edge lit light-guide plates orother light-emitting components may be used to produce illumination fordevice 10 and can replace one or more displays 14 and/or portions ofdisplays 14 in device 10. In general, any suitable light-emittingdevices (displays, light-emitting diodes, lasers, lamps, etc.) may beused in emitting light (e.g., through housing 20).

Input-output devices 12 may also include sensors 18. Sensors 18 mayinclude force sensors (e.g., strain gauges, capacitive force sensors,resistive force sensors, etc.), audio sensors such as microphones, touchand/or proximity sensors such as capacitive sensors (e.g., atwo-dimensional capacitive touch sensor integrated into display 14, atwo-dimensional capacitive touch sensor overlapping display 14, and/or atouch sensor that forms a button, trackpad, or other input device notassociated with a display), and other sensors. If desired, sensors 18may include optical sensors such as optical sensors that emit and detectlight, ultrasonic sensors, optical touch sensors, optical proximitysensors, and/or other touch sensors and/or proximity sensors,monochromatic and color ambient light sensors, image sensors,fingerprint sensors, temperature sensors, sensors for measuringthree-dimensional non-contact gestures (“air gestures”), pressuresensors, sensors for detecting position, orientation, and/or motion(e.g., accelerometers, magnetic sensors such as compass sensors,gyroscopes, and/or inertial measurement units that contain some or allof these sensors), health sensors, radio-frequency sensors (e.g.,sensors that gather position information, three-dimensionalradio-frequency images, and/or other information using radar principalsor other radio-frequency sensing), depth sensors (e.g., structured lightsensors and/or depth sensors based on stereo imaging devices), opticalsensors such as self-mixing sensors and light detection and ranging(lidar) sensors that gather time-of-flight measurements, humiditysensors, moisture sensors, gaze tracking sensors, three-dimensionalsensors (e.g., pairs of two-dimensional image sensors that gatherthree-dimensional images using binocular vision, three-dimensionalstructured light sensors that emit an array of infrared light beams orother structured light using arrays of lasers or other light emittersand associated optical components and that capture images of the spotscreated as the beams illuminate target objects, and/or otherthree-dimensional image sensors), facial recognition sensors based onthree-dimensional image sensors, and/or other sensors. In somearrangements, device 10 may use sensors 18 and/or other input-outputdevices to gather user input (e.g., buttons may be used to gather buttonpress input, touch sensors overlapping displays can be used forgathering user touch screen input, touch pads may be used in gatheringtouch input, microphones may be used for gathering audio input, etc.).

If desired, electronic device 10 may include additional components (see,e.g., other devices in input-output devices 12). The additionalcomponents may include haptic output devices, audio output devices suchas speakers, light sources such as light-emitting diodes (e.g.,crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diodes for status indicatorsand/or displays), other optical output devices, and/or other circuitryfor gathering input and/or providing output. Device 10 may also includean optional battery or other energy storage device, connector ports forsupporting wired communications with ancillary equipment and forreceiving wired power, and other circuitry. Systems that include device10 may also include wired and/or wireless accessories (e.g., keyboards,computer mice, remote controls, trackpads, etc.).

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of device 10 in an illustrativeconfiguration in which device 10 has an optional stand (e.g., so thatdevice 10 may serve as a stand-mounted desktop computer with anintegrated display). As shown in FIG. 2 , stand 24 may support housing20 of device 10 on support surface 33 (e.g., a table top), so thatdisplay 14 may be viewed by user 30 in direction 32. Display 14 may havean active area with pixels that display an image surrounded by apixel-free inactive area that serves as a border or display 14 may be aborderless display that is entirely covered with pixels. Housing 20 mayhave a rear portion on rear surface (rear face or rear side) R, a frontportion on opposing front surface (front face or front side) F, and aside portion on sidewall surface (sidewall) W. Sidewall surface W may bean extended portion of rear surface R (e.g., in arrangements in whichrear surface R curves towards surface F around the periphery of housing20), may be a separate housing surface (e.g., a surface that is orientedperpendicular to front surface F and/or rear surface R), or may haveother configurations. In some configurations, sidewalls W or portions ofsidewalls W may be transparent and may overlap pixels in display 14(e.g., display 14 may extend from front F onto some or all of sidewallsW).

Stand 24 and/or housing 20 may be formed from metal, glass, polymer,fiberglass and/or other polymer with embedded fibers, ceramic,crystalline material such as sapphire, fabric, wood or other naturalmaterials, other materials, and/or combinations of these materials.These materials may include opaque materials and/or transparentmaterials. Stand 24 may include a solid cylinder, a solid rectangularcolumn, or other solid support structure, may include an angled metalmember or other angled support structure as shown in the illustrativearrangement of FIG. 2 , may have a base and pedestal configuration, ormay have other suitable shapes for supporting display 14 at a desiredposition relative to a table top or other support surface 33 on whichdevice 10 is resting. If desired, stand 24 may be adjustable.

Housing 20 may include housing walls (e.g., planar or curved layers of0-10 mm in thickness, at least 0.3 mm in thickness, less than 6 mm inthickness, or other suitable thickness that cover interior components inan interior region of device 10) and/or may include internal structures(e.g., frame members, supportive layers such as layers of metal or othermaterials, etc.). The front portion of housing 20, which may sometimesbe referred to as a display cover layer, may cover an array of pixels indisplay 14. To allow images that are displayed on the array of pixels tobe viewed by user 30, the display cover layer may be formed from atransparent material such as clear glass, plastic (transparent polymer),sapphire, etc. The side and rear of housing 20 may be formed from opaquematerials (e.g., metal, opaque polymer, opaque polymer with embeddedfibers, etc.) and/or from transparent materials (e.g., clear glass orpolymer). In some arrangements, both the front and rear portions (and,if desired, the side portion) of housing 20 may be formed from glass.Transparent polymer and/or other materials may also be used. Inarrangements in which transparent housing material overlaps internaldevice components, opaque material such as layer of opaque ink may beformed on inner surfaces of housing 20 to help block internal componentsfrom view. Transparent windows (e.g., openings) may be formed in theopaque layer to accommodate cameras, ambient light sensors, proximitysensors, three-dimensional image sensors, and/or other optical sensors.

In one illustrative configuration, which is sometimes described hereinas an example, housing 20 includes a glass display cover layer and hasglass on sidewall surface W and rear surface R (or at least some ofthese surfaces). With this optional arrangement, most or all of theexterior surface of housing 20 is formed from glass. This type ofarrangement may provide device 10 with an attractive appearance and/ormay help device 10 accommodate desired components such as desiredoptical components. Transparent materials such as transparent polymermay also be included, if desired. Illustrative mounting locations forthe electronic components in device 10 (e.g., optical components andother input-output devices 12) include front surface F, sidewall surfaceW, and rear surface R (see, e.g., illustrative mounting locations 22 ofFIG. 2 , which may be used for gaze tracking sensors, image sensors,projectors, pixel arrays, edge-lit light-guide plates and other lowerresolution light-emitting devices, touch sensors, wireless circuitry,and/or other components). These components may also be mounted on stand24 (see, e.g., illustrative mounting locations 22′).

A cross-sectional side view of device 10 of FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 3 .As shown in FIG. 3 , housing 20 may have portions on front surface F,rear surface R and sidewall W. Sidewall W may run around the four edgesof device 10 (e.g., when device 10 has a rectangular outline viewed indirection 32) and/or may have other shapes. Sidewall W may have planarportions and/or portions with a curved cross-sectional shape. Housing 20may enclose interior region 19. Electrical components 28 may be mountedon one or more printed circuits such as printed circuit 26. In someconfigurations, cables and other electrical paths may be used in routingsignals to and from components 28. Electrical components 28 and otherstructures for device 10 (e.g., control circuitry 16, input-outputdevices 12 of FIG. 1 , etc.) may be mounted in interior region 19 andsurrounded by housing 20. Housing 20 may separate interior region 19from exterior region 21, which surrounds housing 20 and device 10.

One or more light-emitting components may be mounted within housing 20(e.g., pixel arrays in displays, lasers, light-emitting diodes that formstatus indicator lights and/or that provide light to a light guidelayer, etc.). As shown in FIG. 3 , for example, displays 14 may beincluded in interior region 19. Displays 14 may include arrays of pixelsP. A first display may be formed under the portion of housing 20 onfront surface F may serve as the main display for device 10. An optionalsecond display such as a strip-shaped display may run along one, two,three, or more segments of sidewall W and may form a ticker-tape-styleoutput device (e.g., to display stock prices, weather, sports scores,etc.). An optional third display may extend over some or all of the areaof housing 20 on rear surface R. These displays may be touch sensitiveor insensitive to touch. In general, any one, two, or three of thesedisplays and/or other displays 14 may be formed within interior 19 forviewing through transparent overlapping portions of housing 20. Theexample of FIG. 3 is illustrative.

As shown in FIG. 3 , stand 24 may be coupled to internal supportstructures (e.g., metal plates, frame members, etc.) such as internalsupport 24F. Printed circuit 26 and other internal structures may becoupled to internal support 24F. Support 24F may also be coupled tohousing 20 so that stand 24 can support housing 20. An opening may beformed in housing 20 (e.g., an opening in a glass housing structure) toallow metal structures associated with stand 24 to couple to internalsupport 24F. If desired, stand 24 may be formed from glass and/or may becoupled to a glass structure in housing 20 without forming an opening inhousing 20 and/or without being coupled to an internal metal support.

A perspective view of a corner portion of an illustrative housing fordevice 10 is shown in FIG. 4 . As shown in FIG. 4 , housing 20 may havea front portion 20F on front surface F, an opposing rear portion 20R onrear surface R, and a sidewall portion 20W on sidewall surface W (as anexample). Portions 20F, 20R, and 20W may all be formed from glass and/orone or more of these portions may be formed from other material. Forexample, portion 20W may be formed from metal or polymer while portions20F and/or 20R are formed from glass, portions 20F and 20W may be formedfrom glass while portion 20R is formed from metal or polymer, and/orother configurations may be used. Portions 20F, 20R, and/or 20W may beformed from glass layers (e.g., sheets of glass joined using laserwelds, glass frit, polymer adhesive joints, and/or other couplingmechanisms). If desired, trim members (e.g., strips of polymer trim,metal trim, and/or other trim) may be formed at seams T between theportions of housing 20 of FIG. 4 .

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of housing 20 in anillustrative arrangement in which internal layers 36 (e.g., metal sheetsor other internal support structures) have been attached to the innersurfaces of rear portion 20R (e.g., a rear glass housing wall) and frontportion 20F (e.g., a front glass housing wall, sometimes referred to asa display cover layer). Sidewall portion 20W may be free of metalsupporting structures or metal supporting structures such as internallayers 36 may also be attached to sidewall portion 20W. Layers 36 may beattached to the glass portions of housing 20 using layers of adhesive(as an example). If desired, an intervening ink layer and/or otherlayers of material (e.g., metal, a dielectric thin-film mirror or otherthin-film interference filter layer) may be formed between the adhesivelayer and the glass portions of housing 20 (e.g., to provide device 10with a desired appearance when viewed from exterior region 21). Glassfrit, laser welds, adhesive joints, and/or other joints may be formed tocouple pieces of housing 20 together (e.g., to join portion 20R andportion 20F to portion 20W).

In the example of FIG. 6 , rear portion 20R has an integral curvedsidewall portion 20RW that forms the sidewall surface for housing 20.Portions 20R and 20F may be coupled using glass frit, laser welds,adhesive joints, and/or other joints. FIG. 7 shows how integral sidewallportion 20RW of rear portion 20R may bend sufficiently to form asidewall for housing 20 that has a rounded appearance (e.g., portion20RW may be curved back on itself). Other arrangements for joining twoor more glass layers to form housing 20 may be use, if desired. In someconfigurations, optional trim may be formed between glass seams inhousing 20.

FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of device 10 in an illustrativearrangement in which input-output devices 12 have been incorporated intodevice 10. As shown in the example of FIG. 8 , rear portion 20R ofhousing 20 may have windows (e.g., portions that are not covered by inkor other opaque masking material) such as a window in area 44. A camera(e.g., a digital image sensor and lens) may be mounted under a window inarea 44 so that images may be captured of objects located to the rear ofdevice 10. Cameras in device 10 may operate at visible wavelengths,infrared wavelengths, and/or ultraviolet wavelengths. As an example,device 10 may have one or more visible image sensors such as a visibledigital image sensor that operates through a window or other portion ofrear portion 20R or through other portions of housing 20 (e.g., througha glass housing wall).

If desired, housing 20 may have one or more areas that includemechanical buttons (e.g., buttons with movable button members andassociated switches that are configured to operate through an opening inhousing 20) and/or one or more that are provided with touch sensorbuttons (e.g., buttons that detect user button activation usingcapacitive sensing). As shown in FIG. 8 , housing 20 (e.g., rear housingportion 20R or, if desired, portion 20W or portion 20F) may have a touchsensor button such as a power button and/or other control buttons inbutton area 46.

A wireless input device such as stylus 41 may be supported using asupport structure such as tray 42 and/or may be coupled magnetically toa portion of housing 20 (e.g., portion 20 W, portion 20F, or portion 20W). For example, magnetic structures (magnets, iron members, etc.) maybe provided within housing 20 in a location such as stylus mountinglocation 42′ so that stylus 41 may be removably attached to location 42′(e.g. for temporary storage, for wireless charging, etc.). A displaydevice such as a projector may be located in an area of display 14 suchas area 48 (e.g., under a window). Projectors may also be located behindsidewall portions 20 W and/or front portion 20F. During operation, theprojectors may project images onto nearby surfaces such as walls, atabletop or other support surface on which device 10 is resting (e.g.,images may be projected through glass housing walls or other transparenthousing walls such as transparent polymer walls). Projected images mayhave the same resolution as other displayed images (e.g., an image beingdisplayed on display 14) or may have a higher resolution or a lower(coarser) resolution.

Device 10 may have ports for receiving external cables for power and/ordata. For example, housing 20 may have a power port and/or a data portin one or more areas such as port area 40 of rear housing portion 20R.The port in area 40 may have contacts (e.g., power and/or data pins thatmates with corresponding contacts on an external cable) and/or may usewireless circuitry to receive power and/or data wirelessly throughhousing 20 (e.g., through capacitive coupling and/or inductive couplingarrangements). Magnetic structures (iron bars and/or magnets) and/orother attachment mechanisms may be formed in port area 40 to hold acable plug on the end of an external cable in place within area 40.

A sensor such as a three-dimensional image sensor may be mounted inhousing 20. For example, a three-dimensional image sensor may be formedin area 50 of rear housing portion 20R or other portion of housing 20.The three-dimensional image sensor may be a structured light sensor thathas a light-emitting device such as device 52 that emits an array oflight beams through housing 20. The light beams may be, for example,infrared light beams. Device 52 may include an array of lasers (e.g.,vertical cavity surface emitting lasers) that generate the infraredlight beams. The three dimensional image sensor may also include a lightdetector such as infrared image sensor 54 that gathers images of theinfrared light beams through housing 20 as the infrared light beamsilluminate a target object. Control circuitry 16 can process thecaptured images to reconstruct three-dimensional images of the targetobject. Additional components (e.g., one or more additional input-outputdevices 12) may also be located in area 50 and/or other portions ofhousing 20 and may operate through housing 20. If desired,three-dimensional sensing, position sensing, and/or other sensing may beperformed using other sensors (e.g., an ultrasonic sensor, aradio-frequency sensor (radar sensor), a light-based position sensor(lidar), etc. These sensors may generate position information onexternal objects and/or may generate three-dimensional maps of theshapes of external objects. If desired, device 10 may be configured touse a projector such as a projector in area 48 on rear face R orelsewhere in device 10 to project images (e.g., computer-generatedcontent) onto non-planar objects (e.g., onto real-world objects in apotentially cluttered environment surrounding device 10). The projectedimages may be predistorted by the control circuitry of device 10 basedon knowledge of the three-dimensional shapes of the real-world objectsthat is gathered using one or more sensors such as one or morethree-dimensional image sensors (e.g., based on depth mapping performedby device 52). In this way, flat images (computer-generated content withtext and other virtual objects that appears flat and undistorted) may beviewed by a user, even when the surfaces onto which thecomputer-generated content is being projected are not flat.

In some arrangements, accessory devices such as accessory device 56 maybe coupled to housing 20 (e.g., using magnets, adhesive, fasteners,etc.). Device 56 may include one or more cameras, a gaze trackingsystem, a projector or other display, and/or other accessory thatsupplies additional input-output devices (e.g., devices such as devices12 of FIG. 1 that are coupled to device 10 using wired and/or wirelesslinks).

If desired, a portion of housing 20 such as portion 20L of FIG. 9 may beconfigured to serve as a lens (e.g., a convex lens or other suitablelens). This lens may be used with additional optical structures (e.g.,one or more optional additional lens elements) and an associated opticalcomponent (component 57) such as a camera or projector. An image sensingdevice that is aligned with the lens formed from portion 20L may includea visible digital image sensor and/or an infrared digital image sensorand may be used as part of a sensor (e.g., a three-dimensional imagesensor, a two-dimensional image sensor, a gaze tracking system, agesture sensor, etc.). Projectors may be used in emitting light thatcreates images on nearby surfaces after passing through the lens formedfrom portion 20L. As shown in FIG. 9 , by forming a lens from portion20L and/or a separate lens element that is aligned with opticalcomponent 57 (e.g., a two-dimensional camera, a three-dimensional imagesensor, a projector, etc.), optical component 57 can operate throughhousing 20 (e.g., to capture images, to project images, etc.).

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of device 10 in an illustrativeconfiguration in which projectors 58F and 58R are configured to projectimages through front portion 20F of housing 20 and rear portion 20R ofhousing 20, respectively. Active shutters 60F and 60R such as liquidcrystal shutters, electronic ink shutters, and/or other electricallyadjustable light modulators may be used to selectively hide theprojectors from view from the exterior of device 10. Control circuitry16 (FIG. 1 ) can adjust the states of shutters 60F and 60R, so thatthese shutters are opaque and thereby block internal components such asprojectors from view or so that these shutters are transparent andthereby allow projected image light from the projectors to exit theinterior of device 10.

In the illustrative configuration of FIG. 10 , projector 58F projects animage through active shutter 60F and front housing portion 20F whenshutter 60F is transparent. If desired, a portion of display 14 (e.g., atransparent display portion) may be interposed between housing portion20F and front projector 58F. Projector 58R may project an image throughactive shutter 60R and rear housing portion 20R when shutter 60R istransparent. When projectors 58F and 58R are not in use, shutters 60Fand 60R may be placed in an opaque state to help block projectors 58Fand 58R from view from the exterior of device 10. Projectors (and, ifdesired, shutters that overlap the projectors) may be located in stand24. For example, projector 58F may be located at forward-facing position58F′ to project images onto a surface in front of device 10, whereasprojector 58R may be located at rearward-facing position 58R to projectimages onto a surface behind device 10. Wireless circuitry, displays,and/or other input-output devices 12 may also be mounted in stand 24.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of device 10 in a system environment inwhich projectors are being used to project images onto surfaces in thevicinity of device 10. As shown in FIG. 11 , a first projector locatedin a left rear portion of housing 20 may project image 64 in direction62 onto a wall or other surface to the left of device 10, whereas asecond projector located in a right rear portion of housing 20 mayproject image 68 in direction 66 onto a wall or other surface to theright of device 10. If desired, accessory projectors that are linked todevice 10 by wired and/or wireless connections may be used to projectimages onto nearby surfaces. For example, accessory projector 70 mayproject image 64 in direction 72 and/or accessory projector 74 mayproject image 68 in direction 76. Images 64 and 68 may be associatedwith an image being presented on display 14. For example, images 64 and68 may be extended portions of an image being displayed on display 14.

If desired, additional images may be projected by projectors in device10. For example, image 82 may be projected in direction 84 from aprojector in region 80 of device 10. Image 82 may, for example, beprojected onto a tabletop or other support surface on which stand 24 anddevice 10 are resting and/or may be projected onto other surfaces under,to the side of, behind, and/or in front of device 10. Projected image 82may, as an example, include content that is extended from main display14 and/or that is related to the content of main display 14. As anexample, if a view of a grassy park is display on display 14, projectedimage 82 may include a grassy lawn that extends from grass in the imageon display 14 and/or may include a diffuse green light or other lightthat is thematically associated with the grass being displayed ondisplay 14.

Accessories such as computer mice, keyboards, remote control devices,and/or other accessories (see, e.g., accessory 86) may be used incontrolling device 10. For example, a user of device 10 may use akeyboard or other accessory 86 to supply text, pointing commands, and/orother information to device 10 over a wired or wireless connection.

Stand 24 may support housing 20 on a support surface onto which image 82is projected. Stand 24 may be formed from glass (e.g., a solid glassstructure, a structure with a hollow interior region surroundedpartially or completely by glass walls, a structure with metal and glassportions or other structures, etc.) and/or may be formed from othermaterials (opaque and/or transparent polymer, metal, etc.). Stand 24may, if desired, have a portion such as portion 24P (e.g., a planarportion that runs horizontally and that is characterized by a verticalsurface normal) that is configured to receive and support a removableelectronic device such as a cellular telephone, stylus, or otherexternal item. Portion 24P and/or other portions of stand 24 may beformed from glass, polymer, or other dielectric to accommodatetransmission of light (e.g., through clear dielectric) and/ortransmission of wireless data and/or power signals.

Portion 24P of stand 24 and/or other portions of stand 24 may have aninterior portion that contains one or more electrical components such aselectrical component 83. Electrical component 83 may include a display(pixel array) that displays images, wireless circuitry (e.g., circuitryfor handling wireless power and/or wireless data), sensors, and/or otherinput-output devices. For example, component 83 may include a wirelesssignal structure such as a capacitive coupling plate or a coil thatwirelessly couples with a corresponding wireless signal structure(capacitive coupling electrode or coil) for use in wireless signaltransmission and/or reception. Wireless power circuitry in component 83may be used in transmitting and/or receiving wireless power and wirelesscommunications circuitry in component 83 may be used in transmittingand/or receiving wireless communications signals.

As an example, wireless power can be wirelessly transmitted fromcomponent 83 (e.g., a coil, capacitor plate, or other wireless powertransmitting structure) in portion 24P to a portable electronic deviceresting on portion 24P, wireless communications signals can bewirelessly transmitted from component 83 to the portable device, and/orcomponent 83 may receive wireless power and/or wireless data signalsfrom the portable device. In some configurations, electrical component83 may be configured to emit light that passes through portion 24P. Forexample, electrical component 83 may have one or more light-emittingdiodes or other components that emit light, component 83 may be a pixelarray configured to display images that are visible through the glass orother transparent material of portion 24P and/or that are visiblethrough other portions of stand 24, component 83 may be a projector,and/or component 83 may have other circuitry configured to emit light.In general, electrical component 83 may be mounted in planar portion 24Pof stand 24 and/or other portions of stand 24 and may be any suitableinput-output device (see, e.g., input-output devices 12 of FIG. 1 ) orother electrical component for device 10.

As shown in FIG. 12 , content from main display 14 may be moved betweendisplay 14 and ancillary display regions formed from adjacent projectedimages 64 and 66 (and/or a projected image on the support surface onwhich stand 24 is resting). In this way, images 64 and 66 (and/or asupport surface image) may help expand the effective size of display 14.In the example of FIG. 12 , a user is moving on-screen object 90 frommain display 14 onto left image 64 in direction 94 (see, e.g., movedobject 92). The edges of images 64 and 66 may blend seamlessly (ornearly seamlessly) with adjacent edges of display 14 to create acontinuous computer desktop. For example, the content displayed at leftedge 14E of display 14 may match the content displayed at right edge 64Eof projected image 64. During operation, an input-output device indevice 10 and/or a computer mouse, a trackpad, or other accessory inputdevice (see, e.g., accessory 86 of FIG. 11 ) may be used in supplyinguser input that moves on-screen objects such as object 90 seamlesslybetween projected images such as images 64 and 66 and adjacent portionsof main display 14 and/or other projected image areas. The use ofprojectors (e.g., projectors in device 10 and/or accessory projectors)in displaying images adjacent to device 10 that serve as extensions todisplay 14 provides a user of device 10 with additional workspace and/oradditional areas to receive visual content from device 10.

If desired, cameras on device 10 can capture images of real-worldobjects. These images can be displayed on display 14. Images ofreal-world objects may, for example, be displayed on display 14 inpositions that make display 14 appear to be transparent to a user.Consider, as an example, the illustrative configuration of FIG. 13 . Inthe example of FIG. 13 , device 10 is positioned so that display 14 isoverlapping real-world objects 102. The overlap between display 14 andobjects 100 in this example is partial, so that portions 102 of objects100 are not blocked from view by display 14 and are directly viewable bythe user of device 10. Portions 104 of objects 100 are blocked bydisplay 14 and are not directly viewable through display 14 due to thepresence of opaque structures within display 14.

Although portions 104 cannot be viewed directly, a camera on the rear ofdevice 10 or other image sensor circuitry may capture an image thatcontains portions 104 and this image may be displayed in real time ondisplay 14 in alignment with the locations of the blocked portions. Insome arrangements, three-dimensional location information (e.g.,three-dimensional images from a three-dimensional sensor) may be used todetermine the location in three dimensions of portions 104. A gazetracking sensor (sometimes referred to as a gaze tracker or gazetracking system) may be located on the front side of device 10 to gatherinformation on the location of the user's eyes. Control circuitry 16 canuse information from the gaze tracking sensor to determine the positionof the user's eyes and can use the output of the three-dimensional imagesensor or other position sensor circuitry to determine the position ofportions 104 of objects 100. From the known positions of objects 104,display 14, and the user's eyes, control circuitry 16 can then positioncaptured images of portions 104 on display 14 in a location (and withappropriate optional image warping) that ensures that the these imagesof portions 104 are satisfactorily aligned with portions 102 ofreal-world objects 100. In this way, the user will view objects 100 intheir entirety. Portions 102 will be viewed directly as real-world itemsand portions 104 will be viewed as virtual items on display 14. Display14 will, in effect, appear transparent to the user (e.g., display 14will be virtually transparent).

If desired, the virtual transparency of display 14 can be adjusteddynamically. For example, a user may supply input to device 10 thatenables or disables this see-through feature. As another example, athree-dimensional image sensor or other sensor circuitry in device 10can be used by control circuitry 16 to detect movement behind display14. In the absence of movement, display 14 will not display virtualobjects associated with blocked portions of the real world. In responseto detecting movement (e.g., movement of a person who has walked upbehind display 14 to speak to the user of device 10), control circuitry16 can automatically display captured images of blocked objects ondisplay 14 (e.g., the virtual transparency of display 14 can beautomatically turned on based on detected movement). Other triggeringactivities may also be used to automatically invoke (or turn off)virtual transparency (e.g., activities detected using voice detection,noise detection, voice command recognition, visual pattern recognitionsuch as facial recognition or other image recognition, user gazedirection detection such as detection of a lingering gaze on a locationjust beyond the periphery of display 14 or detection of a gaze ondisplay 14, etc.).

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative external item(item 118) that is located adjacent to an outer surface of housing 20 ofdevice 10. Item 118 may be a plug for a cable such as optional cable120, may be a stylus (see, e.g., stylus 41 of FIG. 8 ), may be acomputer accessory other than a stylus (e.g., a computer mouse, atrackpad, a keyboard, a camera, a projector or other display device,etc.), may be a portable device such as a cellular telephone, or may beother external device. During operation, item 118 may be attached todevice 10. For example, a mounting bracket, ledge, hook-and-loopfastening material, screws or other fasteners, clips, and/or othermounting structures may be used to temporarily attach item 118 adjacentto housing 20. In the illustrative example of FIG. 14 , item 118 hasmagnetic structures 112 and device 10 has magnetic structures 110.Magnetic structures 112 and 110 may include magnetic material (e.g.,iron bars, etc.) and/or magnets (e.g., permanent magnets and/orelectromagnets). Magnetic structures 110 may be located within theinterior of device 10 behind housing 20.

Item 118 may contain wireless signal structure 116 and device 10 maycontain a mating wireless signal structure 114. Wireless signalstructures 116 and 114 may include respective capacitive coupling plates(e.g., a pair of mating capacitor plates for capacitively coupledwireless power transfer and/or capacitively coupled wirelesscommunications) or respective coils (e.g., a pair of mating coils forinductive wireless power transfer and/or near-field inductive wirelesscommunications). Structures 116 and 114 are wirelessly coupled (e.g.,via capacitive or inductive coupling).

When it is desired to temporarily couple item 118 to device 10, magneticstructures 112 may be placed into alignment with magnetic structures110, so that structures 112 are magnetically attracted toward structures110. This attracts item 118 toward device 10 so that structures 116 and114 are wirelessly coupled to each other (e.g., so that structures 116and 114 are capacitively or inductively coupled with each other).Structures 116 and 114 may then be used to transfer power wirelesslyand/or to communicate wirelessly. For example, in a scenario in whichstructure 116 is a capacitor plate and structure 114 is a capacitorplate, the plates may be capacitively coupled so that wireless power canbe transferred to item 10 from a power source coupled to item 118 orvice versa and/or so that wireless communications signals can betransmitted from item 118 to device 10 or vice versa. In a scenario inwhich structure 116 is a coil and structure 114 is a coil, the coils maybe inductively coupled so that wireless power can be inductivelytransferred to device 10 from item 118 or from device 10 to item 118and/or so that wireless communications signals can be transferred fromitem 118 to device 10 or from device 10 to item 118.

Multiple electronic devices 10 may be used in a system. For example, auser may operate a first electronic device such as a cellular telephone,tablet computer, or other portable electronic device in the presence ofa second electronic device such as a desktop computer. The first andsecond devices may have displays (e.g., displays facing the user). Thefirst device may be placed in front of the second device (e.g., 0.1-1 min front of the display in the second device). In this position, thefirst device and its display may be interposed between the user (e.g.,the eyes of the user) and the display of the second device, so that thefirst device (e.g., the display on the first device) occludes a portionof the display of the second device.

The second device may use a camera, a three-dimensional image sensor,magnetic sensors, light-based sensors, and/or other sensors to detectthe location of the first device relative to the display of the seconddevice and relative to the user (e.g., the second device may determinethe relative location between the first and second devices and user inX, Y, and Z dimensions, angular orientations, etc.). Based on thisrelative position information, the second device can determineappropriate display content to supply to the first device (e.g.,wirelessly) and/or the first device may share visual content and/orother information with the second device. The first device may, forexample, receive the content that is provided by the second device andmay display this content on a display in the first device. The contentthat the second device passes to the first device may be, for example,the same content on the display of the second device that is beingoccluded by the presence of the first device between the user and thesecond device. In this way, the system may be used to display thecontent that is occluded on the display of the second device on thedisplay of the first device so that no content is blocked by thepresence of the first device.

If desired, the system may include multiple electronic devices such asmultiple desktop computers, multiple desktop monitors, or other sets ofmultiple devices with adjacent displays. There may be an air gap betweenthe displays in this system. For example, when two desktop displays areplaced on a user's desk in front of the user, there may be a gap betweenthe right edge of a left-hand display and the opposing left edge of aright-hand display. To help fill the air gap, a projector in the firstdevice and/or a projector in the second device may be used to displayfiller content on a surface such as a surface that is behind the devicesand visible in the gap between the devices. In addition to projectingcontent behind the devices and/or instead of projecting contentrearwardly, gap filler content and/or other content may be projected infront of the devices (e.g., in the vicinity of a keyboard, trackpad,and/or other input-output devices) to help create a visually seamlesstransition between different areas of displayed content.

Cameras, three-dimensional sensors, magnets and corresponding magneticsensors, sensor circuitry that emits light rays and corresponding sensorcircuitry that detects reflected light rays, and/or other sensorcircuitry may be used to determine the relative locations of the devicesand the user to determine where to project the filler content and todetermine what filler content will visually fill detected gaps.

As described above, one aspect of the present technology is thegathering and use of information such as information from input-outputdevices. The present disclosure contemplates that in some instances,data may be gathered that includes personal information data thatuniquely identifies or can be used to contact or locate a specificperson. Such personal information data can include demographic data,location-based data, telephone numbers, email addresses, twitter ID's,home addresses, data or records relating to a user's health or level offitness (e.g., vital signs measurements, medication information,exercise information), date of birth, username, password, biometricinformation, or any other identifying or personal information.

The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personalinformation, in the present technology, can be used to the benefit ofusers. For example, the personal information data can be used to delivertargeted content that is of greater interest to the user. Accordingly,use of such personal information data enables users to calculatedcontrol of the delivered content. Further, other uses for personalinformation data that benefit the user are also contemplated by thepresent disclosure. For instance, health and fitness data may be used toprovide insights into a user's general wellness, or may be used aspositive feedback to individuals using technology to pursue wellnessgoals.

The present disclosure contemplates that the entities responsible forthe collection, analysis, disclosure, transfer, storage, or other use ofsuch personal information data will comply with well-established privacypolicies and/or privacy practices. In particular, such entities shouldimplement and consistently use privacy policies and practices that aregenerally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmentalrequirements for maintaining personal information data private andsecure. Such policies should be easily accessible by users, and shouldbe updated as the collection and/or use of data changes. Personalinformation from users should be collected for legitimate and reasonableuses of the entity and not shared or sold outside of those legitimateuses. Further, such collection/sharing should occur after receiving theinformed consent of the users. Additionally, such entities shouldconsider taking any needed steps for safeguarding and securing access tosuch personal information data and ensuring that others with access tothe personal information data adhere to their privacy policies andprocedures. Further, such entities can subject themselves to evaluationby third parties to certify their adherence to widely accepted privacypolicies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should beadapted for the particular types of personal information data beingcollected and/or accessed and adapted to applicable laws and standards,including jurisdiction-specific considerations. For instance, in theUnited States, collection of or access to certain health data may begoverned by federal and/or state laws, such as the Health InsurancePortability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), whereas health data in othercountries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should behandled accordingly. Hence different privacy practices should bemaintained for different personal data types in each country.

Despite the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplatesembodiments in which users selectively block the use of, or access to,personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplatesthat hardware and/or software elements can be provided to prevent orblock access to such personal information data. For example, the presenttechnology can be configured to allow users to select to “opt in” or“opt out” of participation in the collection of personal informationdata during registration for services or anytime thereafter. In anotherexample, users can select not to provide certain types of user data. Inyet another example, users can select to limit the length of timeuser-specific data is maintained. In addition to providing “opt in” and“opt out” options, the present disclosure contemplates providingnotifications relating to the access or use of personal information. Forinstance, a user may be notified upon downloading an application (“app”)that their personal information data will be accessed and then remindedagain just before personal information data is accessed by the app.

Moreover, it is the intent of the present disclosure that personalinformation data should be managed and handled in a way to minimizerisks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risk can beminimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting data once itis no longer needed. In addition, and when applicable, including incertain health related applications, data de-identification can be usedto protect a user's privacy. De-identification may be facilitated, whenappropriate, by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth,etc.), controlling the amount or specificity of data stored (e.g.,collecting location data at a city level rather than at an addresslevel), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data acrossusers), and/or other methods.

Therefore, although the present disclosure broadly covers use ofinformation that may include personal information data to implement oneor more various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure alsocontemplates that the various embodiments can also be implementedwithout the need for accessing personal information data. That is, thevarious embodiments of the present technology are not renderedinoperable due to the lack of all or a portion of such personalinformation data.

The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can bemade to the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may beimplemented individually or in any combination.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer, comprising: a housing, wherein thehousing comprises a rear glass wall; a display mounted within thehousing; a projector configured to project an image onto a surfaceadjacent to the housing, wherein the projector is configured to projectthe image through the rear glass wall; an input device configured togather input; and control circuitry configured to move a displayedobject from the display to the image projected onto the surface based onthe input.
 2. The computer defined in claim 1 further comprising ashutter, wherein the shutter is interposed between a glass portion ofthe housing and the projector and wherein the control circuitry isconfigured to place the shutter in a transparent state when theprojector is projecting the image onto the surface.
 3. The computerdefined in claim 1 further comprising a stand that is configured tosupport the housing, wherein a glass portion of the housing covers arear surface of the housing and wherein the display is configured todisplay content through an opposing front surface of the housing.
 4. Thecomputer defined in claim 2 wherein the rear glass wall has a portionforming a lens element.
 5. The computer defined in claim 1 furthercomprising a stand configured to support the housing on a supportsurface, wherein the projector is configured to project the image ontothe support surface.
 6. A computer, comprising: a housing havingopposing front and rear sides; a display on the front side of thehousing; an input device configured to gather input; an image sensor onthe rear side of the housing, wherein the image sensor comprises athree-dimensional image sensor configured to gather three-dimensionalshape information on a real-world object; a projector configured toproject an image onto the real-world object based on the gatheredthree-dimensional shape information; a gaze tracking sensor; and controlcircuitry configured to display an image captured with the image sensoron the display using information from the gaze tracking sensor.
 7. Thecomputer defined in claim 6 further comprising a stand configured tosupport the housing on a support surface, wherein the housing comprisesa glass wall on the rear side.
 8. The computer defined in claim 6further comprising: a stand configured to support the housing on asupport surface; and a projector configured to project onto the supportsurface.
 9. The computer defined in claim 6 wherein the front side ofthe housing has a front layer of glass and a front metal layer attachedto the front layer of glass and wherein the rear side of the housing hasa rear layer of glass and a rear metal layer attached to the rear layerof glass.
 10. The computer defined in claim 6 further comprising: astand configured to support the housing, wherein the stand has a glassplanar portion; and an electronic component overlapped by the glassplanar portion of the stand, wherein the electronic component comprisesan electronic component selected from the group consisting of: a pixelarray, a wireless communications circuit, and a wireless power circuit.11. The computer defined in claim 6 wherein the housing has transparentsidewalls and wherein the display has pixels on the front side andpixels under the transparent sidewalls.